The national pharmaceuticals-buying agency Pharmac has secured supplies of another drug "Baricitinib" shown to work against the COVID-19 virus, Little said in a statement.

"Baricitinib is the fifth drug Pharmac has secured, and sits alongside remdesivir, tocilizumab, molnupiravir and Ronapreve as treatments doctors can turn to help people with a range of COVID-19 symptoms," he said.

Like tocilizumab, baricitinib can be used to treat patients who are very sick, as it reduces the severity of symptoms and cuts time in hospital and reduces the likelihood of death, he added.

Pharmac expects to receive 500 doses of baricitinib this month, which is important because there is a global shortage of tocilizumab and this gives clinicians another option, said the minister.

Money for all five medicines will come from the government's COVID-19 fund. It has yet to be approved by Medsafe for use against COVID-19, but clinicians will be able to use it straight away under Section 25 of the Medicines Act, he said.